


Yua

by Twyd



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Animals, Attraction, Bickering, Crushes, Cute, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Phobias, Pre-Slash, Punishment, Revenge, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 04:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13826184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twyd/pseuds/Twyd
Summary: Edited. It’s been a while since Izaya has been invited into Shiki’s home. In Izaya’s experience, such an occasion normally meant something very good or very bad.





	Yua

It’s been a while since Izaya has been invited into Shiki’s home. It's interesting to be in his personal space, and not just his office or his car. In Izaya’s experience, such an occasion normally meant something very bad or very good. Izaya tries to guess which it may be as he looks around, his features carefully neutral.

“Izaya,” Shiki finally greets, looking up from his phone. He is as unreadable as ever. “How are you?”

“I’m well thanks, Shiki-san. How are you?”

“I’m well too.” He pauses. Never a man of many words, he gets straight to the point.  “I need a favour of you.”

Izaya quirks an eyebrow. This he had not expected.

“Well, I have something to discuss with you,” Shiki corrects.  “And then I have a favour to ask of you.”

“OK.”

“I know you arranged Akane’s kidnapping.”

He feels as if he’s been doused with ice. He purses his lips as Shiki gazes at him, trying to think, when Shiki adds,

“And if you waste my time trying to deny it, I’ll make sure you never work in this city again.”

Izaya nods slowly, knowing when he’s beaten.

“Good. To repent for what you’ve done, you’re going to look after something for me while I’m away this week. Something very important to me.”

Izaya glances back up hopefully. It sounded rather like he was being letting off the hook.

“Of course. Anything.”

Shiki studies him for a moment.  He whistles out of the side of his mouth, making the informant jump.

There’s an awful thumping noise, and then the door is nosed open and a golden retriever pads into the room.

“No.” Izaya springs up and backs away until he has effectively cornered himself. “No, this isn’t fair. I know I went too far with Akane and I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I won’t do anything like that again, but you can’t make me look after your dog just because you know I’m scared of them. You can’t.”

Shiki is staring at him, bewildered. The dog in question thumps to a seat at at his side, tail wagging curiously.

“I didn’t know you were afraid of dogs.”

Izaya glares at him, forgetting himself. His hands have started to sweat, and he’s sure the dog can smell it.

Shiki looks down at the dog beneath his hand.

“She’s a retriever, not a rottweiler. She’s very friendly.”

 _I don’t care if she’s a meet and greet at Seaworld,_ Izaya thinks, hating her, hating both of them.

“Please sit down,” Shiki gestures to the seat he’d abandoned. “Let’s talk. I promise you she’s harmless. Toddlers have ridden around on her back.”

“I’m allergic.”

“Really?” Shiki drawls. “Because you’ve never sneezed in here before, and she’s in here a lot.”

Izaya feels himself blushing. He glares at the dog resentfully, who wags her tail again when he meets her eyes. He forces himself back to his seat. The dog’s tail wags harder, but Shiki puts his hand on her neck to keep her at his side.

“It would only be for a few days,” he says. “She needs walking twice a day, for at least 15 minutes. I can give you her food and everything she needs. You work from home a lot, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Izaya barely waits for him to finish talking before he protests,

“But surely you must already have someone for her, for other times that you went away?”

Shiki looks at him steadily.

“I would like you to look after her this time.”

“Dog sitting though? Really? What next, do you want me to pick up your dry cleaning and bring you coffee?”

He knows as soon as he’s finished speaking that he's gone too far. Shiki’s eyes are dangerously narrow.

“Considering what you’ve done, you can consider this getting off lightly.”

Izaya lowers his eyes.

“But I don’t think she’ll be very happy with me?” he tries. “I’m really not a dog person.”

“She’s happy anywhere.” He gives her a pat. “She’d obviously prefer it if you play with her or cuddl her now and then, but so long as you keep her fed, watered and exercised, and don’t do anything stupid, she’ll be just fine. She doesn’t molt, chew or make a mess. She doesn’t even bark much.” There’s a significant pause. “Naturally I don’t need to add what will happen to you if anything does happen to her in my absence."

Izaya pales.

“But what if something happens that’s not my fault? If she gets ill or in a fight or something?”

“I may make exceptions for very rare circumstances,” Shiki drawls. “But believe me, I’ll know if you orchestrate something.”

“You think I’d orchestrate for your dog to be run over or something? What do you think I am?” He swallows. “Don’t answer that.”

“Consider this as a way of rebuilding my trust,” Shiki says, ignoring him. “Something you’re sorely in need of. You can take her for a walk this afternoon if you like. Get used to each other.”

“I have an appointment this afternoon,” Izaya says quickly. “Sorry.”

Shiki smiles like he’s humouring him.

“That’s fine. I’ll bring her by next week. By the way, don’t think you can outsource this. I want _you_ to be the one who walks her and cares for her, and I’ll know if you get out of it,” he adds, stamping out Izaya’s last hope. The informant wouldn’t be surprised if Shiki wasn’t going away at all, and was doing all this just to torture him.

* * *

 

Izaya spends the rest of week alternating between dread and a black mood, trying to think of ways he can get out of it, wondering if he can 'make' himself allergic. But even if he gets out of it, Shiki might make him do something worse. He tries to rationalise his fear, even tries cutting through the park more often, to get used to the furry creatures and the idea that they’re not going to kill him.

It doesn't do him much good when Shiki finally shows up with the dog, straining at her lead to get to him.

"She's just excited."

"OK...perhaps I’m stereotyping, but you never struck me as a retriever type of man,” Izata says, gabbling slightly, while Shiki lets the dog off the lead and she starts sniffing around.

“I used to have a doberman.” He smiles sadly. “I was going for another one when I saw her at the shelter, and I couldn’t not take her home.”

He ruffles her fur fondly.

"Man's best friend."

Izaya rolls his eyes. He thought better of Shiki.

"What, Izaya?" Shiki teases, as if reading his mind. "There's nothing wrong with having a human side."

"She reminds me of someone," he mutters.

"Really? Who?"

"No-one." 

No-one important, anyway.

He hands Izaya a bag with a lead, food, dishes, a blanket, toys.

“Pet her,” he offers, as Izaya edges away whenever she comes near him. “Please. She won’t bite you.”

Izaya holds his hand out warily, and the dog runs up and leans into him, her tail whacking his leg.

“She jumps up sometimes but she doesn’t mean any harm. You can let her off the lead when you walk her,  so long as you’re away from road. Give her leftovers if you want, but obviously only what she can eat. No bones, chocolate, fruit…”

Izaya tunes out as Shiki keeps talking. He thinks briefly about giving this ‘job’ to Masaomi, but he can’t risk it. It’d be like risking his own life.

“Any questions?” Shiki asks, when they’re apparently done, and Izaya’s going to be left with his worst enemy, next to Shizu-chan.

“Nope,” he says, with false cheer. “All sounds fine. I’ll keep you updated.”

“You’re sure there’s nothing else?” Shiki asks pointedly, eyebrows raised, while Izaya flushes, feeling he’s missing something painstakingly obvious that only dog lovers must know.

“Her name?” Shiki prompts.

“Oh! Right, of course. What’s her name?”

“Yua.”

“Yua. OK. That’s lovely. Er, we’ll be fine.”

Yua looks at him expectantly when they are alone.

“Don't look at me. I'm as confused as you are.”

She wags her tail in sympathy.

* * *

 

They make it through the first night with no major disasters.  Yua had slept in his front room, and seemed happy enough in the morning. She jumps up on his legs when he comes downstairs, but he’s able to distract her rather quickly with food.

He gets out the lead when they're done. This is what he’d been dreading the most: losing her if she ran off, having to deal with other dogs, other people who liked dogs, and not to mention picking up shit.

She’s stronger than he expected, and he has to hold the lead with both hands as she strains ahead of him, seeing the grassy haven they’re headed for. He feels stupid and self conscious, deliberately freezing out anyone who smiles at him or makes unhelpful ‘ _awww’_ noises.

Once they reach the park, he’s about to let her off the lead when he feels someone's eyes on him. He lifts his head, just as Yua gives a final tug and runs to this stranger. Only it's not a stranger. It's Shizuo. 

Izaya feels a chill up his spine, nauseuous at the idea of having to deal with the two of them at once.

Shizuo blinks as the dog jumps up at him, but then a smile spreads all over his face.

“You get a dog?”

“I’m looking after a dog,” he corrects, watching with distaste as Shizuo kneels to give the dog a proper hug. Of course Shizuo would be a dog-lover.

“Neat. Never had you down as a dog person.”

“I’m really not.”

Shizuo looks up at him past the dog’s fur.

“Then why do you have him? Or her?”

“Her. It’s a long story. What are you doing in Shinjuku, Shizu-chan?”

“Tom and I are working here this week.”

 _Great._ Clearly he’s in for the best week of his life.

“You poor thing,” Shizuo says to the dog, ruffling her fur. “Stuck with Izaya-kun looking after you.”

Izaya rolls his eyes. He wants to tug her away, but he doesn’t want Shizuo to see how obviously awkward and uncomfortable he is with her, so he just hovers uncomfortably, hands in his pockets.

“We have to go, Shizu-chan. She’ll never do anything if you just play with her all day.”

“What’s her name?”

“Yua.”

“Bye, Yua.”

She barks back as he walks away. Izaya hates her more than ever.

* * *

 

The rest of the walk goes down without incident, and Izaya doesn’t see Shizuo again when they go for their second walk.

The next day, he tries to go out at a later time, just in case Shizuo was hanging around, but Yua puts her head in his lap while he’s working, whining. She can either tell time, or has a very set bodyclock.

Of course Shizuo is at the park. Izaya tries to avoid him, but Yua is already straining at her lead, about to bark to get his attention. He feels a wave of panic when he first lets her off - Shizuo is quite a way off, and she is bolting further and faster than he'd like - but she only jumps up at Shizuo in greeting and starts running between them both, barking. Izaya sighs. 

He’d brought her ball, thinking this may tire her out faster than just walking around, and takes it out now. He throws the ball to Shizuo and drops on the nearest bench, taking out his phone.

“Have fun.”

He checks his email while Shizuo plays with the dog. 

Seeing Shiki's name in his Inbox, he has a brief flicker of paranoia at his ‘outsourcing,’ but reasons that it makes sense as, with his superhuman strenth, Shizuo is far better for throwing things than him. Yua is having a great time.

“How long do you have her for?” Shizuo calls over his shoulder.

“Just the weekend.”

After a few minutes, clearly not wanting him to feel left out, Yua starts dropping the ball at Izaya’s feet after she’s fetched it.

“You’re an idiot,” he tells the dog, throwing it to Shizuo instead of throwing it for her to fetch.

“Are you really working here, Shizu-chan?” he asks, after she's run off. “Or are you just bumming around here because you lost another job?”

He sees the side of Shizuo’s mouth twitch.

“Shut up. Tom’s coming later.”

“So why aren’t _you_ here later?”

“To find where I’m going. I’m not familiar with the area,” he snaps. He turns to Izaya to glare at him. “I don’t have to fucking explain myself to you.”

“It just doesn’t seem fair, if I have to stay out of Ikebukuro…”

“You have to stay out of Ikebukuro because you’re always starting shit there, especially with me. I don’t do anything to you.”

“Right. Just throw the odd street sign now and then.”

“Only when you start something!”

Izaya opens his mouth to point out the inaccuracy of this, when he glances behind Shizuo and goes still.

“Shizuo. Where’s the dog?”

“She...she was right here,” Shizuo says, circling around in confusion. They wait stupidly, as if she may magically appear.

“You fucking idiot.” Izaya jumps up and shoves Shizuo in the chest. “If anything happens to that dog I’m dead.”

“Don’t be stupid. What is she, the Emporer’s dog?”

“She’s _Shiki’s_ dog, and you have to find her, now, before it gets dark. I knew this would happen. This is all your fucking fault.”

“How the hell is it my fault? Look, calm down, Izaya-kun.,” Shizuo says, for once not getting riled himself. “She’s only been gone for a second. We’ll find her. Let’s split up. Call me if you see her.”

Izaya stalks away, furious at having to play this ridiculous game of Scooby Doo. What follows are the most painful, terrifying and humiliating ten minutes of his life, in which he hollers for a dog he didn’t want, asks for help from the people staring at him, and finds himself actually worried that she might have been hit by a car, or kidnapped for a meat festival, or worse.

His phone rings. He opens it so fast it almost flies out of his hands.

“ _Haveyougother_?”

“Yeah, I got her, she’s fine. We’re by the lake.”

The dog is lying down with her head on Shizuo’s lap when Izaya gets there, his fingers holding her collar. She strains against them to get to Izaya when she sees him, and he finds himself actually kneeling down, letting her press into him, savouring the relief.

“You bad girl," he scolds, fishing for her lead.

She takes no notice.

“You’re welcome,” Shizuo says.

“It was your fault she went missing,” Izaya snaps.

“Yeah, right, my fault that you were too busy ragging me to keep an eye on her.” He shakes his head, getting to his feet now she's secure. “I’ve got to go. I’m late for work.”

Izaya stares after him for a moment, confused. That was just about the most mellow reaction he’d ever seen in Shizuo. Perhaps the dog was good for him. Perhaps that was why they used in therapies and such. Yua nudges his leg with her nose.

“OK,” he says, as Shizuo jogs out of the park and out of sight. “But you’re staying on the lead now.”

* * *

 

He walks Yua in a different part of the park the following day, but it’s a waste of time, as Shizuo finds them anyway.

“Wait,” he says, as Izaya glares at him, about to drag Yua off. “I’m sorry about yesterday, OK? Can you just let me play with her for five minutes? I promise I won’t take my eyes off her.”

Izaya frowns, pretending he has to think about it, then shrugs and removes the lead.

“Why don’t you just get one?”

“A dog? My apartment’s too small, I couldn’t afford her and I’m not home enough anyway.”

Izaya snorts.

“Maybe it’s time to rethink your life choices, Shizu-chan.”

“Most people in the city don’t have the right kind of lifestyle for dog,” he says defensively. “At least I have a real job.”

“You do now.”

They bicker endlessly, but without the bite of yesterday. Izaya tries to work on his phone at the same time, but he finds himself looking up every 30 seconds to check on the dog, so he doesn’t get much done. He gives up and just watches them. He snaps a picture of Yua mid-bound, fur shining in the sun, and send it to Shiki.

Exhausted, Yua eventually flops under his legs in the shade, panting.

Shizuo throws the ball back to Izaya and leaves them both. Izaya thinks he’s gone, when he comes back with two styrofoam cups.

Izaya stares, eyebrows raised.

“Thanks…?” he says, taking it slowly. “I’m going to assume it’s not poisoned.”

“That’s very big of you.”

They drink in a not uncomfortable silence. It’s good coffee.

* * *

 

He makes it to Monday without any disasters. Spending time with a dog and Shizu-chan every day, he thinks he maybe needs a spa week. Except, maybe not, as it hadn't really hadn’t been that bad. Even Shizuo. Especially Shizuo. 

Yua jumps up beside him on the couch that night, and he doesn’t tell her to get down. He strokes her head.

“Make sure you tell Shiki what a great time you had.”

She thumps her tail in agreement.

* * *

 

Shiki smiles all over his face when he gets his dog back. Izaya watches, bemused, as the older man crouches down while Yua jumps all over him, rubbing his hands over her fur.

“She looks well.”

“She has been. She's just been missing you.”

Shiki gives him a glance as if he may be mocking him, then he shakes his head and stands.

“Good. I have a gift for you.”

He gestures for Izaya to follow him into his office, and presents him with a small but rather heavy box.

Books. _Anna Karenina_ and _Crime and Punishment_ , in Russian. First editions. He feels his heart flood with warmth and gratitude, and for a moment can’t speak.

“...thank you."

Shiki nods.

“Perhaps you can come with us next time. I may be able to trust you again.”

Izaya just nods like a little kid, not taking his eyes off the books.

He takes the books away in their box so they don’t get damaged.

“Come visit any time,” Shiki offers, as Izaya ruffles Yua’s fur goodbye.

He smiles uncertainly, unsure if he’s joking or not.

He’s so entranced with his gift, at the relief of cleared air between Shiki and himself, that he almost doesn’t notice Shizuo in the park until he pretty much runs into him.

Shizuo raises his eyebrows at the box.

“What’ve you got this time, a rabbit?”

“Very funny. Are you sure you still have a job, Shizu-chan? You’re bumming around the park an awful lot lately.”

“Shut up, I’m on a break. What’s in the box?”

“A rabbit.”

He attempts to push past, but he can’t see the ground past the box, and catches his toe on a tree root. Shizuo catches the other end of the box to steady him. He holds on to it when Izaya tries to pull it back.

“It’s just books,” Izaya says, showing him.

“They look old,” Shizuo says, studying the first cover. “Are you putting them on eBay?”

“No,” Izaya snaps. He tugs the box out of Shizuo’s philistine hands.

Shizuo is laughing at him.

“I kind of like the idea of you as a secret book nerd.”

“I’m not a secret anything. Books are good,” he huffs.

“A secret romantic, then. It is Anna Karenina.”

Izaya chooses to ignore this comment, its implications and the resulting rush that goes up his spine.

“I have to go,” he says, side stepping Shizuo. “I have a big night in planned.”

“OK. Have fun with your books.”

“I will. Have fun with your dogless life.”

Izaya smiles to himself as soon as he’s far away enough, Shizuo’s laughter in his ears.

* * *

 

Somehow, Izaya finds himself sort of missing the dog. Not that he’d ever want one, and even if he did, which he doesn’t, he’d want a smaller one, one he could scoop up if it was ever in some sort of danger, and preferably wouldn’t be able to outrun him.

He cuts through the park on his way back from the store, and Shizuo isn't there. Of course it isn't. He and Tom wouldn't be in the area forever

His heart jerks then as he realises Shizuo  _is_ in the park, way on the other side on a bench facing the other way, slightly hunched. He looks as if he may be smoking.

Izaya hovers, watching him. Running into him was one thing, but deliberately approaching him was a different beast altogether. The dynamic would be ruined without the dog between them.

He dithers, hating himself, until Shizuo eventually gets up and leaves without looking Izaya’s way.

* * *

 

He finds himself walking through the park more often, instead of taking his usual route. It's kind of grown on him, and other people's dogs don't bother him so much even more. He's still convinced they're evil and that Yua had been an exception, but still. 

Now he doesn't have the dog or Shizuo's wrath to worry about, he can't stop analyzing Shizuo's behaviour. Not getting mad, willingly spending time with him, helping him find the dog despite it being kind of Izaya's fault,  _buying him coffee_. All he can think of is that the dog had somehow made Shizuo think there was some good in him, even though he was probably the worst dog sitter ever. How bizarre. It couldn't last however, now the dog is gone, and Shizuo and Tom will eventually finish whatever it is they're doing here.

He's so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost doesn't notice Shizuo himself. He falters mid-step, growing blank with panic, as if Shizuo may somehow be able to read his mind.

It's late. He's never seen Shizuo here at this time before. 

“Are you based here permanently now?”

It was meant to somehow sound like an insult.

“Today’s the last day.” There’s a significant pause. “Missing the dog?”

“Not as much as you. Not as much as you’re missing the dog, I mean,” he corrects, feeling stupid.

Shizuo thankfully doesn’t pick up on this, or if he does he ignores it.

“I don’t know, I reckon you were secretly very attached.”

Izaya is suddenly very grateful for the dark, as he can feel himself blushing.

“Well, I’m going to go before the moment's ruined. No point in having a fight for no re- “

Shizuo pushes him back by the shoulders and kisses him, drinking him in. He keeps hold of Izaya when they break.

“-the fuck?” Izaya blurts, feeling the need to speak.

“You can’t say that after kissing me back.”

“I can. You started it.”

Shizuo responds by kissing him again, harder, getting him back against a tree. 

“Any clearer?”

“...”  
  



End file.
